Villain: My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens.

"Young master, although today's scheme to sow discord was flawless, there is still one thing I do not understand."

With Xie Zheng's strength at the Marquis level, not to mention the Eastern Wilderness, even in the Upper Realm, only the successors of those supreme lineages can contend with him.

Killing Ye Chen would be as easy as swatting an ant. Why go to such great lengths, scheming and plotting to take everything from that kid?

Xie Zheng, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, walked slowly, clearly in a good mood, his tone lazy and casual: "Oh? What is it? Speak."

Today, not only did they plant a thorn between Ye Chen and his master, they also racked up a huge amount of destiny points. They were really enjoying harvesting these韭菜 (a metaphor for easily exploited people), and they are one step closer to completely crushing Ye Chen.

"This old servant truly does not understand why you did not simply kill Ye Chen?" Elder Ming spoke frankly. He had no idea about the concept of destiny, let alone that Ye Chen was the chosen one of destiny.

He didn't know that as long as Ye Chen's luck wasn't exhausted, even if he was suppressed by Xie Zheng, there was always a chance for him to turn the tables and rise again. This was the most terrifying aspect of the chosen ones by the great forces of heaven and earth.

Xie Zheng naturally wouldn't explain these things to Elder Ming.

Xie Zheng chuckled, a sly glint in his eyes: "Ye Chen will die, but not now. I'm still waiting for him to bring me opportunities; it would be such a waste to kill him now."

Xie Zheng knew that the original owner's reason for descending to the mortal realm was not for any kind of training, but for a peerless and deadly weapon that was about to be born, the Eight Desolate Demon Halberd.

That was the weapon of the Eight Desolate Demon Gods in the ancient times. It was filled with murderous intent and had boundless divine power. It almost slaughtered all the heavens back then, but later, for some unknown reason, it was lost in the river of time.

To put it bluntly, the original owner descended to the mortal realm specifically for this deadly weapon. However, given the original owner's fate as a villainous cannon fodder, he was destined to gain nothing in the end, while Ye Chen would instead reap the benefits.

Xie Zheng could guess the rest of the plot with his toes: Ye Chen would stumble into the ruins by chance, gain the approval of the Eight Desolate Demon Halberd at the critical moment, his strength would surge, and he would then challenge the Tai Xuan Holy Land, turning the tide against all odds. As for the original owner, he would either mess things up in the lower realm and lose his life, or flee back to the upper realm in a sorry state, forging an irreconcilable feud with Ye Chen.

"Tsk, reading more online novels really does help. Those damn authors weren't lying to me." Xie Zheng chuckled to himself, feeling incredibly good from a god-like perspective.

Upon hearing this, Elder Ming bowed to Xie Zheng and said, "So it turns out that you had made arrangements all along. This old servant is foolish and failed to understand your profound meaning."

At this moment, his admiration for Xie Zheng was even more evident. He truly deserved to be called a prodigy whom the family had high hopes for. His mind was meticulous, and he calculated every step clearly.

"Alright, stop flattering me." Xie Zheng waved his hand, his tone becoming more serious. "Keep a close eye on Ye Chen and pay attention to his every move. Also, keep a close eye on the Tai Xuan Holy Land; they're probably in trouble soon."

The chosen one of destiny was imprisoned for three whole days. According to the theory of destiny, the Tai Xuan Holy Land would surely suffer retribution. As for what kind of retribution it would be, Xie Zheng was also curious and wanted to see just how mysterious this power of destiny really was.

"This old servant obeys!" Old Master Ming replied respectfully, and with a flash, he disappeared into the void.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the dungeon was exceptionally heavy.

Yan Ji held the Spirit Gathering Pill, her fingertips trembling slightly. Her crimson pupils were filled with shock as she murmured to herself, "Spirit Gathering Pill...it really is a Spirit Gathering Pill..."

How could she not recognize this pill? She just never expected Xie Zheng to be so generous.

Back when she was at the peak of her power, the Gathering Spirit Pill was nothing to her. But now, with only a wisp of her soul remaining and her spirit unstable, this Gathering Spirit Pill is like a timely rain after a long drought, a lifeline in the snow.

Sometimes, a single Spirit Gathering Pill is equivalent to having an extra life. Even the highest-ranking gods may not have one.

Seeing Yan Ji's expression, Ye Chen's unease grew stronger, and he couldn't help but ask, "Master, what exactly is this pill? Judging from your expression, it's very precious?"

Xie Zheng, that scoundrel, not only used sweet words to sow discord between them, but also tempted their master with elixirs. His heart is despicable!

Yan Ji snapped out of her daze, glanced at Ye Chen with a complicated expression, and slowly began to tell him in detail about the rarity and powerful effects of the Gathering Spirit Pill.

After listening, Ye Chen fell completely silent, his teeth grinding together, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his nails dug deep into his flesh, drawing blood without him even noticing.

He finally realized just how important this pill was.

But he couldn't bear this humiliation! This pill was given to him by Xie Zheng; it was a tool Xie Zheng used to humiliate him and sow discord between him and his master!

If I accept, I will be betraying my own dignity; if I refuse, I will be betraying my master, watching him suffer spiritual torment.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Ye Chen felt a tightness in his chest, and his mind screamed wildly: Xie Zheng! I must kill you! I must!

She was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, looking at Ye Chen with a hint of doubt in her voice: "Xiao Chen, tell me honestly, do you have some kind of prejudice against Young Master Xie?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen froze instantly, his eyes widening in disbelief, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

Does he have a prejudice against Xie Zheng?

That bastard stole his Qingge song, humiliated his dignity, sowed discord between him and his master, and even tried to take his master away. Was that prejudice? No, it was irreconcilable hatred!

At that moment, Ye Chen felt everything go black before his eyes, as if the whole world had collapsed.

Why would his master ask him that? Could it be that in his master's eyes, his hatred for Xie Zheng was just unfounded prejudice?

"Master...you...how could you say that?" Ye Chen's voice was hoarse and his eyes were full of grievance and disbelief. "I'm not prejudiced against him! He's our enemy! He stole my Qingge, insulted my dignity, and even tried to take you away."

Yan Ji looked at his agitated expression and said, "I know you're upset, but Xie Zheng really didn't do anything excessive today. He didn't force me, he didn't threaten me, and he even gave me a Gathering Spirit Pill. His kindness is genuine."

"Besides, what he said makes some sense. You're too impulsive and too impatient. If you continue like this, you won't be able to protect yourself, let alone me."

"Master! Why are you taking his side?" Ye Chen's eyes reddened with anxiety, his voice trembling with tears. "He did it on purpose! He wanted to bribe you with this pill, to sow discord between us! Can't you see that?"

"I can see that." Yan Ji's tone was calm, but her eyes were complicated. "But I really need this Gathering Spirit Pill. Xiao Chen, I'm not speaking up for him. I just don't want you to be blinded by hatred, and I don't want you to ruin your own life or mine because of prejudice."

Ye Chen opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his throat choked up and he couldn't utter a single word.

He knew his master was right, but he just couldn't swallow his anger. He was unwilling to be trampled underfoot by Xie Zheng, unwilling that his master would speak up for Xie Zheng, and unwilling to accept his own uselessness.

"Master..." Ye Chen lowered his head, his voice muffled, tears welling up in his eyes, "I know, but I still hate him, I still don't want to accept his charity."

Yan Ji looked at him, gently patted his shoulder, and softened her tone: "I understand how you feel. I will use this pill, but I won't owe him anything. Once I regain my strength, I will definitely repay this favor."

Ye Chen nodded heavily, wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, his gaze filled with determination: "Master, I will definitely cultivate diligently, become stronger as soon as possible, kill Xie Zheng, protect you, and never let you suffer any more injustice!"

Yan Ji looked at him and nodded gently, but a hint of complexity still lingered in her eyes.